Refrigerator shipping container for container cars



March 27, 1934. c, WOODRUFF 1,952,348

REFRIGERATOR SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l (Illlll March 27; 1934. e. c. WOODRUFF REFRIGERATOR SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1933 d l l o: my

March 27, 1934. c WQODRUFF 1,952,348

REFRIGERATOR SHIPPING CONTAINER rOR CONTAINER CARS Filed r h 1933 4Sheets-Sheet 3 ago m gwucm foc WCmW March 27, 1934. G. c WOODRUFF 1,952,348

REFRIGERATOR SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Patented Mar. '27, 1934 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR. SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Graham 0. Woodruif, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. C. L. Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1933, Serial No. 659,233

10 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator shipping containers for container cars of that type designed for the shipment of goods in less than car lots, and particularly to containers designed to 5 be used in conjunction with drop side container compartment cars in which the containers pro-- vided or not with supporting legs or the like are adapted to .be shifted into and out of the car compartments on loading and unloading trucks or by suitable hoisting mechanism. a

One object" of the invention is to provide a refrigerator container for container cars which is especially constructed for the efiicient use of solid carbon dioxide (CO2) hereinafter referred to as dry ice as a refrigerating medium whereby the interior of the container may be kept at a predetermined low temperature for the preservation during shipment of perishable goods.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for securing a reliable and effective circulation of the air between a refrigerating chamber of compartment in the container and the lading holding compartment thereof and through the lading in the latter compartment, so as to maintain all portions of the lading holding compartment and the lading at a predetermined low temperature.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction which may be embodied in new containers if desired, but which readily lends itself to the conversion of containers in use and designed for shipping goods not receiving refrigeration into refrigerator containers adapted for the use of dry ice.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whlch:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a refrigerator container embodying my invention. a

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig.

6 2 through the upper portion of the container and means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a container of the character described which comprises a body of rectangular or oblong form, a body of oblong rectangular form showing on an enlarged scale the refrigerating being shown in the present instance, which may be with or without supporting feet at its corners and provided at its top with lifting links, and having a bottom wall 2, front and rear or end walls3 and 4, and a roof or top wall 5, the front wall 3 being formed with a doorway, closed by a suitable door 6, through which the lading may be inserted and removed. In the structure disclosed the body is provided with a horizontal partition 7 below and spaced from the roof 5, which par- 5 tition forms the ceiling of the goods or lading holding chamber or compartment 8 of the container body. This ceiling or partition 7 consists of a special insulating paneling of pressed wood or other suitable insulating material, and the space between the ceiling and the roof is filled with a suitableinsulating material 8'. Also in the structuredisclosed the bottom, end and side walls and the door are of suitable double-walled construction and the wall surfaces thereof are spaced to receive a packing 9 of the same or other suitable insulating material, in order to well insulate the interior of the chamber from the outer atmosphere. If desired, the inner wall surfaces of the bottom, end and side walls and door of the container may consist of plywood of suitable thickness, to which may be secured a lattice-like guard or grating 10 of crossed wooden strips upon and against which the lading rests. In the particulars thus far noted the container may accord substantially in construction with the container shown in my application filed March 1, 1933, Serial No. 659,234, and executed of even date herewith. The container may be provided with supporting feet and lift-links or other means to adapt it to be shifted into and out of container car compartments by lift-type loading and unloading trucks-or suitable. hoisting mechanism.

Located at the top of the container, and extending from side to side and end to end thereof. immediately beneath the ceiling panel 7, is a metal conductor plate 11. Above this conductor plate are ice holding bunkers 12, lined with pressed board or other suitable insulating lining and arranged-on opposite sides of the longitudinal' center of the container, the. bottoms of which bunkers are formed by the underlying portions of the conductor plate. The bunkers are disposed between the conductor plate and roof 5 and terminate at the top in inlets which open to the exterior through the roof and are adapted to be closed by air-tight insulated doors 13. The bunkers are each of a size to receive one or more blocks of dry ice of a certain size or a certain quantity of such ice which rests directly on theconductor plate through which the cold developed by the gradual melting of the ice is transmitted to horizontal air cooling and circulating ducts, conduits or compartments 14. Suitable vents may be provided for the discharge of gases from the bunkers.

The ducts 14 extend from a point near the iongitudinal center of the container toward the opposite sides thereof. The ducts 14 are open or provided with air inlets 15 at their inner ends which communicate with the top of the lading compartment, and the outer ends 15 of said ducts communicate with the upper ends of vertical fiues 16 which extend downwardly along the container side walls and have lower outlet ends 16' communicating at a certain level with the lading compartment above the lattice-work guards on such walls. Each duct 14 is formed by and between a hollow partition or sub-ceiling 17 and the overlying portion of the plate 11, which constitute its bottom and top walls, and such sub-ceiling being composed of a bottom wall, consisting of a A," layer of plywood 18 and 2 sheets of insulating board 19 and a top wall consisting of a Mr" layer'of plywood 20 and V layer of plywood 21, and suitable end closures 22, thus forming a dead-air space between the lading compartment and the duct 14. Each flue 16 is formed by and between an inner wall surface of a container side wall and a hollow vertical partition wall or lining 23 consisting of a layer of t metal faced plywood 24, a layer of insulating board. 25, and a layer of plywood 26. Between their inner ends the ducts 14 are separated by an insulating barrier consisting of spaced plywood panels 2'7 and 28 and spaced wood strips 29, the space between which contains a filling of suitable insulating material. The strips 29 have secured thereto guide plates or deflectors 30 which guide the ascending warm air to the duct inlets 15 and in each inlet 15 is a valve or damper 31 arranged to be adjusted manually or by means of thermostatic control, so that the rate of flow of air between the lading compartment and each duct 14 may be regulated as required.

In the use of the container, the container is iced for pre-cooling, whenever practicable, five or six hours before loading, and the door kept closed after icing. The lading should also be precooled, whenever practicable, in order to reduce ice consumption during shipment. After the container is loaded a resistance pad 32 of pressed wood painted with aluminum is placed within each bunker upon the conductor plate, a slab 33 of dry ice is then inserted and rested on the pad, an insulation pillow 34 is placed upon the slab and the door 13 applied to seal the bunker. The conductor plate will thus be cooled and will cool the air in the horizontal ducts, the cool air descending through the vertical fiues to the bottom of the lading" compartment and the warm air from the top of said compartment entering to take its place, thus creating a circulation of cooled air through the compartment and lading until the desired temperature is reached. This temperature will be maintained as long as ice remains in the bunkers.

By the use of a greater or less quantity of ice, and the use of one or more resistance pads in connection with any certain quantity of ice, the temperature to be maintained for any given period may be varied and regulated to any desired degree. a

The arrangement of bunkers, ducts and flues on opposite sides of the center of the container in conjunction with a conductor plate constructed ocasee and arranged as described ensures very high emciency of operation in effecting a uniform cooling of the container and lading throughout the lading compartment. The resistance pads employed are good until broken or water-soaked and if lost or damaged they can be temporarily replaced with any available building board, such as heavy cardboard, pressed board or corrugated board of a resistance approximately equal to the thickness of resistance pad whose place it takes. Any kind of tough strong papers may be used for very low temperatures and such use is desirable, as, if the ice is placed on the bare conductor plate, excessive refrigeration may be produced and waste of ice caused.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantages of my improved refrigerator container will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. While the construction disclosed is preferred it will, of course be understood that changes in the form, propo rtion and details of construction of the parts of the container and the refrigerator unit may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim isz+ 1. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods containing compartment, refrigerating means centrally disposed at the top of the container and including a refrigerant containing chamber-provided with a bottom conducting surface disposed above said compartment and extending continuously beyond the refrigerant chamber to opposite sides of the compartment, and means for effecting a circulation of air between the top and bottom portions of the compartment and causing the air to flow horizontally in contact with said conducting'surface beneath the refrigerant containing chamber and to said sides of the compartment and thence vertically down said sides to the bottom of the compartment.

2. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods con-- taining compartment, refrigerating means centrally located at the top of the container and provided with a conducting surface extending continuously from side to side of the compartment and forming the bottom of the chamber and the top of said compartment, and a flue for circulating air between the top and bottom of the storage compartment and causing the air to flow horizontally beneath and in contact with said 4. A refrigerator container for container cars comprisinga container body having a goods containing compartment, refrigerating means at the top pf the container including a refrigerant containing chamber centrally located between two diametrically opposite sides thereof and provided with a conducting surface extending between said sides and forming the bottom of the chamber and the top of said compartment, and flues extending horizontally beneath the conducting surface from the center of the container to opposite sides thereof and thence downwardly therein, said flues communicating with the upper andlower portions of the storage compartment.

5. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods containing compartment, refrigerating means centrally disposed at the top of the container and including a refrigerant containing chamber provided with a bottom conducting surface'extending continuously beyond the refrigerant containing chamber to opposite sides of said compartment, air flues connecting the upper and lower portions of the compartment and arranged to conduct the air along and in contact with said conducting surface, and valves controlling said flues.

6. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods containing compartment, refrigerating means centrally located at the top of the container and including a refrigerant containing chamber provided with a conducting surface comprising a plate of a conducting metal forming the bottom of said chamber and the top of said compartment, horizontal air ducts extending from the center of the container toward diametrically opposite sides thereof beneath said conducting surface, and vertical air flues leading from said ducts downwardly and communicating with the lower portion of the storage compartment.

'7. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods storage compartment, an ice holding chamber centrally located at the top of the body, a metal plate forming a conducting surface extending beneath the chamber and between opposite sides of the top and bottom of the storage compartment and container at the top of the compartment, and means for effecting a circulation of air between the top and bottom portions of the compartment and causing the air to flow horizontally in contact with said conducting surface between said chamber and said sides of the compartment.

8. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods storage compartment, an ice holding chamber located at the top of the body between diametrically opposite sides thereof and provided with a bottom wall forming a conducting surface extending beyond the chamber to said sides of the body, and a flue for circulating air between the causing the air to flow in contact with said conducting surface. 1

9. A refrigerator container for container cars comprising a container body having a goods storage compartment, an ice holding chamber at the top of the body located between diametrically opposite sides thereof and provided with a bottom wall forming a conducting surface extend ing between said sides of the container, and flues extending horizontally beneath the conducting "surface from the center of'the contaf er to such sides thereof and thence downwardly erein, said flues communicating with the upper and lower portions of the storage compartment.

10. A refrigerator container for container cars 

